Some news and items of interest for Fremonsters…

• Fremont OktoberFest has officially been set for September 23-25, 2011.
• The Fremont Bridge is among this list of architecturally-significance Seattle buildings that continue to serve the city well.
• New West Seattle bar Locöl will feature Fremont Pale Ale on tap.
• Want to have a say about the proposed “apple” apartment building at 3606 Woodland Park Ave.? Attend this meeting tonight to be heard.
• If someone comes to your front door asking for money to pay a locksmith, it’s a scam. Check out how he’s tricked folks in Greenlake and Maple Leaf.
• Anyone want to own up to knowing which Fremont pub received the “tsunami of poo” described in this anonymous Stranger apology (Warning: it’s about what you think it’s about).

Some traffic issues today, if you’re planning on using the Fremont Bridge:

The Seattle Department of Transportation’s Roadway Structures crews will perform maintenance work on several bridges in north Seattle this week. This work is subject to change in the event crews are called to other locations for unplanned emergency work. In addition, there are closures on a WSDOT bridge and a King County bridge adjacent to the Seattle city limits.

For Fremont, that means one curb lane of the Fremont Bridge will be closed at a time for about three hours each to repair the bridge deck. The work is scheduled for today, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Local painter Ryan Henry Ward has left the mark of his trade all around Seattle, literally. Using a style that combines chalk, oil and acrylic paints, Ward is most well known for his bright and whimsical murals that can be seen on abandoned walls and on the sides of homes and businesses around town–you’ll know it’s him by “Henry” stamp painted into the picture.

The side of a house along Nickerson just before the Fremont Bridge has long been a site of Ward’s work, but recently the artist was commissioned to “muralize” the rest of the house, a project finished just earlier this week. The largest part of the new mural showcases a giant goldfish over the east side of the house–a picture that seems to be framed for commuters looking for an entertaining pastime while waiting for the bridge to go down!

Check out more photos of Ward’s work here. Many of Ward’s murals are in our sister neighborhoods, like Ballard, Fremont and Phinney Ridge. Henry works have also been commissioned in less obvious places, like inside local schools and on the walls of neighborhood businesses. Keep your eyes peeled! I personally like to play a little game I call spot the “Henry” while driving around town.

People driving through Fremont yesterday may have wondered what was going on at the Fremont Bridge.  There were people carrying colorful signs dressed in colorful shirts.  The bridge was laced with colorful pennant strings.  Despite the parading and fanfare, it wasn’t a protest.  This was a celebration.

“Bridge Talks Back” is the result of artist Kristen Ramirez’ summer-long residency inside the northeast tower of the Fremont Bridge.  For the past three months, she collected sounds from in and around the bridge, as well as Seattle residents’ stories of it, and compiled them into a sound art project that honors the historic Bridge through all of its daily rhythm and noises.

For the installation’s opening, sixteen different horn players were stationed inside the bridge’s four towers.  As cars began stopping for the bridge to go up, they played a piece composed by Fremont-based trombonist Tom Yoder.  

The recording of various sounds, from cars and horns to birds and bells, were then played over the structure’s overhead speakers.  Each time cars sat idle for the bridge, nearly one hundred performers engaged in choreographed fanfare with handmade signs.   

The public art project was commissioned by the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs from the Seattle Department of Transportation’s 1% for Arts Fund.  The audio composition will continue to play over the bridge’s speakers during daytime bridge openings from now through April 2010.  You can also hear those recordings, as well as those of residents’ bridge stories, by calling 1-800-761-9941.

Updated: Despite daunting traffic warnings, a big barge carrying construction materials for the I-90 bridge project only briefly closed the Fremont Bridge when it passed underneath on Friday evening.

The barge, seen here heading down the Ship Canal from the Ballard Bridge to Fremont, was carrying two 65-ton steel joints and a crane.

Expect some delays heading into downtown across the Fremont Bridge this week. The Seattle Department of Transportation plans to close the southbound lane and sidewalk again this week. They’re planning to work from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Crews will be repairing the sidewalk.

If you’re one of the hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists who cross the Fremont Bridge every day, here’s a minor detour to report. From Wednesday at 9 a.m. to Friday at 2:30 p.m., SDOT crews will be working on the sidewalk on the west side of the bridge, replacing the concrete panels. Foot and bicycle traffic will be detoured to the east side of the bridge, and drivers won’t be affected.

SDOT will close the Fremont Bridge on the nights of March 14th and 15th for repair work. “Bridge crews will repair a damaged center lock, the device that keeps the two leaves of the bridge firmly fastened down when it is not opening for marine traffic,” SDOT explains. The bridge will be closed to vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists from 11 p.m. Saturday, March 14, until 5 a.m. Sunday, March 15, in time for the St. Patrick’s Day Dash. During the repair work SDOT will provide shuttle services for pedestrians and bicyclists.

A 40-year-old Ballard woman who was involved in yesterday’s crash on the Fremont Bridge has died. The Seattle Times says a woman claiming to be the victim’s friend called them. The friend says the woman may have suffered a medical emergency before the accident. The woman also tells the Times that the woman lived in Ballard with her husband and twin 5-year-old boys. The King County Medical Examiner has not released the name of the victim.

Updated 4 p.m. The Fremont Bridge is open again after a head-on accident earlier today closed traffic in both directions.

A white van and SUV collided head-on just before 11 a.m., resulting in one serious injury and sending two others to the hospital. A third car was involved, as well. Medics performed CPR on the most seriously injured patient. The Humane Society was called to take care of a dog in the van.

Traffic is moving smoothly over the Fremont Bridge after being closed during rush hour Wednesday afternoon. The Seattle PI says a man who appeared to be in his 40’s was contemplating jumping off the bridge which is 40 feet above the water (yes, the Fremont Bridge, not the Aurora Bridge). The first call came in at 4:32 p.m., and all four lanes were closed as police negotiators talked the man down. Just after 5:15 p.m. he climbed back over the railing and was taken to an ambulance nearby.

Just the other day, we had to jump aside for a couple bicyclists who rode up the sidewalk in front of Pete’s Coffee. As you may have noticed, there are no bike lanes between 34th and 35th streets on Fremont Ave. Scott Henry wrote the Seattle PI and asked why there’s a gap there. After all, the rest of Fremont Ave. has bike lanes — some of them brand new — extending all the way to Phinney Ridge. But SDOT says there’s not enough room for bike lanes on that particular stretch, suggesting that bikes move into traffic, instead.

The bus stops on both sides of the road also complicates matters. Drag the photo above to take a look around.